So. You've chosen The Woman Warrior. I remember finishing this book and thinking I had just finished the perfect piece of literature. The way the stories were woven together with imagery and theme, the way Kingston uses metaphor to describe things completely foreign to this reader, the way she mixes memory and myth -- it all blows me away. I love it. I am so looking forward to reading it again this summer with you. :)
You don't have to finish the book before you start writing. As a matter of fact, stopping and writing when something strikes you will probably be most revealing about how you're making meaning of the work. Don't shy away if you don't like the book as much as I do -- it's not often that we find our favorite books in the first few pages, and critical reading expects us to find the flaws in writing --and strong readers are alert to the places where they disconnect from the text. I'm really excited to know what you think about what you're reading!
Oh, one quick caveat -- please don't summarize the text; I've read the book more than once: I don't want to know what happens in the book, I want to know what you are thinking about the book.
You don't have to finish the book before you start writing. As a matter of fact, stopping and writing when something strikes you will probably be most revealing about how you're making meaning of the work. Don't shy away if you don't like the book as much as I do -- it's not often that we find our favorite books in the first few pages, and critical reading expects us to find the flaws in writing --and strong readers are alert to the places where they disconnect from the text. I'm really excited to know what you think about what you're reading!
Oh, one quick caveat -- please don't summarize the text; I've read the book more than once: I don't want to know what happens in the book, I want to know what you are thinking about the book.
Thanks! Look forward to hearing from you!